Mushrooms add an earthy, nutty flavor to recipes. Mushrooms are a fungus not a vegetable, but they are treated as vegetables in cooking.
Mushrooms are available year-round (individual varieties have their own seasons). Select mushrooms with
fresh, firm, smooth caps with closed gills. Avoid mushrooms with cracks, brown spots or blemishes or ones
that are shriveled or moist.
Types of Mushrooms
Button or
White
Mild mushroom flavor that intensifies on cooking. Color ranges from creamy white to beige. Comes in
small (button), medium and large (used for stuffing).
Season: Year-round
Yield: 1 package (8 ounces) = about 2-1/2 cups whole or sliced
Featured Recipe: Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms
Chanterelle
Flavor can range from nutty to fruity with a chewy texture. Color ranges from yellow to reddish
orange.
Resembles trumpets or inside-out umbrellas.
Season: Summer through fall
Yield: 1 package (2.5 ounces) = 1 cup whole
Cremini or
Brown
More intense earthy flavor than button. Color ranges from tan to rich brown. Resembles a button
mushroom.
Season: Year-round
Yield: 1 package (8 ounces) = about 2-1/2 cups whole or sliced
Featured Recipe: Tenderloin with Cremini-Apricot Stuffing
Enoki
Mild flavor with a slightly crunchy texture. Color ranges from white to golden. Tiny caps on long
spaghetti-like stems.
Season: Year-round
Yield: 1 package (3-1/2 ounces) = about 2 cups whole
Oyster
Delicate, mild flavor and a silky-chewy texture. Color ranges from pinkish white to beige to gray.
Fluted shell-shaped caps.
Season: Year-round
Yield: 1 package (3-1/2 ounces) = 1-1/2 cups whole
Featured Recipe: Mushroom Pasta Medley
Portobello
Meaty flavor with firm texture. Tan caps with dark-brown gills. Available whole (as large as 6 in.
diameter), sliced or as baby portobello.
Season: Year-round
Yield: 1 package (6 ounces, 2 large caps) = 2-1/2 cups sliced
Featured Recipe: Portobello Roast Beef Hoagies
Shiitake
Woody flavor with a meaty texture. Color ranges from tan to dark brown. Has an umbrella-shaped cap.
Season: Year-round, peaks in spring and fall
Yield: 1 package (3-1/2 ounces) = 2 cups sliced
Featured Recipe: Mushroom Steak Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette
Preparing
Mushrooms
Gently remove dirt by rubbing with a mushroom brush or a damp paper towel. Or quickly rinse under cold
water, drain and pat dry with paper towels. Do not peel mushrooms. Trim stems. For shiitake mushrooms,
remove and discard stems. For enoki, trim base and separate stems. Mushrooms can be eaten raw, marinated,
sauteed, stir-fried, baked, broiled or grilled.
Storage
Store unwashed, loose mushrooms in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator for up to 5-10 days, depending on
the variety. Keep packaged mushrooms wrapped in their package. Moisture speeds spoilage in mushrooms.
More Mushroom Recipes »